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The .45 ACP Federal Hydra-Shok is one of the most trusted defensive-handgun loads ever brought to market. When pistols chambered in .45 ACP were popular in the holsters of law enforcement, many were loaded with Hydra-Shoks. The question is, does this load still work from a super-compact .45 ACP?
The answer is yes. Expansion, however, was reduced due to the lower velocity produced by the shorter barrel, with the bullet opening out to only 1.48 times its unfired diameter. That said, you can count on these bullets to provide decent expansion from short-barreled handguns, or even when fired at targets as far away as 100 yards from a 5-inch barrel.
| Load | Handgun | MV (fps) | PEN (inches) | EXP (inches) | RW (grains) |
| .45 ACP Federal 230-grain Hydra-Shok | SIG Sauer 1911 Ultra (3.3-inch barrel) | 807 | 16.5 | 0.67 | 129 |
